Where's the Line to See Jesus?

I don't normally post a video clip but this song touched me deeply so I thought I better share it.

Before you watch the video though, let me tell you the story behind the song as told by Steve Haupt:

"While at the mall last year, my 4 year old grandson saw kids lined up excitedly to see Santa Claus. Having been taught as a toddler that Christmas is the holiday that Christians celebrate the birth of God's son, with the innocence of a child, he asked his mom, "Where's the line to see Jesus? If Christmas is Jesus' birthday, why don't we see Him more?"

As his grandpa, I was so happy that little Spencer understood the meaning of Christmas at such a tender age, and then the words for a song were jotted down in just a few minutes.

The song was inspired by my grandson, and the message was inspired by my Savior. Out of the mouths of babes come profound truths that many adults can not understand. Hopefully Spencer's observation and our song will cause people to reflect on the love of Jesus, and the certainty that one day we will all stand in line to see Jesus.

Enjoy this beautiful song.
It is what Christmas is REALLY all about!
Merry Christmas everyone.

On Being a Mom

Admonish the young women... to love their children. Titus 2:4

It's not easy being a mom of two very active children. I got tired, and sometimes, discouraged. There were many times where I thought that I might not be a good mother for my children. I searched the Bible and found Titus 2:4. It says that mothers are "to love their children." Okay... what is so special about this verse? I thought, of course mom should love her children. What kind of love the Bible is talking about?

Let me quote from the book, A Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George:
"... the Greek language has several words for love. Agapeo is the kind of love God has for us as His Children: He loves us in spite of our sin, He loves us unconditionally, and He loves us regardless and no matter what. And certainly we mothers are to extend this kind of godly love to our children.

But phileo is the word God chose to convey mother-love here in Titus 2:4. Phileo love is affectionate love, a love that cherishes its object. It is friendship love, a love that enjoys children, a love that likes them! God calls parents to build the family on a foundation of biblical teaching, instruction, and discipline. The home gains a heart, however, when parents not only love their children but like them as well."

This new understanding took me to a new approach of parenting. I didn't feel like a failure anymore, instead I'm able to have fun with my children and ended up enjoying every minute of it. Of course the training and discipline continued, but I find my children are easier to "handle". They become more cooperative and obedient, and most important... I stopped yelling. The house is filled with their chatting voice, and laughter in between... well, I would be lying if I said that it happens everyday... no, unfortunately, it's not... but the children are getting along well, less bickering now. And I'm happy with that as I daily strive to show motherly affection God commanded.

My Daily Routines

It’s been a while since my last post. Well, I’ve been very busy during this past 2 weeks. Anyway, I just want to follow up on my post on Home Management Book (HMB), so…
here is the daily routine that I put in my HMB. I try to get up at 5am so I have plenty of time for my personal devotion. I learn to make this schedule from Flylady’s website (God bless her!), then I tweaked and adjusted to fit my day and needs. I like the way she made it kind of flowing from one task to another. I like the idea of cleaning the bathroom before shower so I don’t have to go back there for the rest of the day for cleaning up. It’s done. As for the laundry, I will get back to it when the children are taking a break from morning school work.

MY DAILY ROUTINES
MORNING ROUTINE
Rise and Shine
• Make bed
• Personal Bible reading and prayer
• Shower and clean the bathroom
• Do hair and face
• Do laundry

Kitchen
• Empty the dish rack (I wash them manually the night before)
• Make coffee and start making breakfast
• Have breakfast
• Clean up table

About the Day
• Check today’s calendar and to do list
• Thaw something for dinner
• Help children to make bed, shower, and get dressed
• Start school

BEFORE BED ROUTINE
Clean up the house before going to bed. (20 minutes - tops)
• Living room: Pick up and put away things, magazines, clothes, shoes, etc.
• Kitchen: Clean it up, wash dishes, shine sink, and lay out clean dishcloths
• Dining room/entrance: Clear the hot spots
• Review my check list to make sure I have not forgotten anything

Think about tomorrow before going to bed.
• Check my calendar/planner for appointments
• Check out the lesson plan and put the worksheets and books out in the school tray for tomorrow
• Check emails and/or write something for my blog post
• Start a "To Do" list for tomorrow
• Lay out clothes (kids and mine) for tomorrow

Focus on myself before going to bed.
• Financial record keeping
• Brush teeth, clean face, and comb hair
• Read for fun
• Prayer/meditation
• Snuggle in for the night and lights out

I'm not perfect. I'm still struggling with waking up at 5am and get the morning routines done before I start school, but I try my best to do everything else for the rest of the day. I'm not an organized person (this is not an excuse for me not to do the housework), but the HMB has been a great tool for me to keep on track.

Being a Mom

Today I want to share a video on "being a mom" by Christy Nockels. Just watch it. Powerful!

Part 1:


Part 2:

The Most Beautiful Thing in the World

Trully our home should reflects all these three: Peace, Love, and Faith...

HOME

An artist, wanting to paint a beautiful picture, asked a pastor, “What is the most beautiful thing in the world?”

“FAITH,” answered the pastor. “You can feel it in every church, find it at every altar.”

The artist asked the young bride the same question. “LOVE,” she replied. “Love builds poverty into riches;

sweetens tears; makes much of little. Without it there is no beauty.”

A weary soldier said, “PEACE is the most beautiful thing in the world and war the most ugly. Wherever you

find peace, you find beauty.”

Faith, Love, Peace! How can I paint them? Thought the artist. Entering his door he saw Faith in the eyes of his children and Love in the eyes of his wife. And there in the home was the Peace that Love and Faith had built. So he painted the picture of the “Most Beautiful Thing in the World.” And when he had finished, he called it, “HOME.”

~ FIRST BAPTIST BEACON

Home Management

“And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.” Psalm 90:17

“Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: and by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.” Proverbs 24:3-4

“Houses and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the Lord.” Proverbs 19:14

Being a homekeeper requires the discipline of organization. What is that? Well, according to Mrs. Julie Fink in her Bible Study Guides, the discipline of organization is the training of ourselves to have self-control over our tendency to do our work at home in a chaotic manner. I’m sure there’s no beauty in a chaotic household, and certainly it will not feel like heaven on earth.

So, in order to establish an organized house, I have put together a Home Management Book. It’s a book where I keep my daily schedule and routines, my menu planner and recipes, my cleaning schedule, my children’s homeschooling journal and lesson plans, my financial records, and some articles. This book will help me keep in track of the things that need to be done everyday.

My Home Management Book cover

In this folder, I keep my daily schedules and routines

This is the Homeschool folder, I keep the children's school routines and journal here

The Household folder is where I keep all my cleaning schedules

This is for the menu planner and recipes

The Finance Folder is to keep our daily financial record

Now that the book is done, the hardest part is to put it into action. I’m not an organized person, so I need to discipline myself to do my schedule and routines, and to do it diligently. And to tell you the truth, I don’t always practice what I preached. I was struck when we went to my friend’s house and my son said that their house is very beautiful and neat. From that moment, I made a promise to myself that I would create a home that filled with beauty.

Lord, help me to be a prudence wife to my husband and a gentle loving mother to my children that I may glorify Your Name. Amen.

Making a Home

The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands. -Proverbs 14:1

She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all.” -Proverbs 31:27-29

… the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. -Titus 2:4-5

My mother is an excellent homemaker in my eyes. She stays at home and takes care of everything in the house until now. One thing she lacked is that she didn’t pass it on to me. I grew up believing that a successful woman is the one that has a great career in a big company and earns a six figures salary. So, I spent my whole life pursuing that path until recently I have to quit my job and be a stay-at-home mom of two little children. I have to re-learn everything to be a good housekeeper.

I know deep in my heart, God called me to homeschool my children and the only way I can do that is to stay at home. I am overwhelmed. It’s not easy being a homekeeper. Many times, I told my husband that I would rather go back to the company… the level of stress is different. Many times, I feel that I can’t do this… that I’m not doing a good job as a wife and mother. Many times, my husband had to help me do chores because I was too tired. Many times, I thank God that He gave me a thoughtful husband who always be there for me… to encourage me, to support me physically, mentally, and spiritually.

So, I begin my journey as a homekeeper. I like this word better, homekeeper… the keeper of the home, the manager of the house. I looked in the Bible and found what the Bible has to say about the ministry of making a home. The passages made me realize the importance of committing myself to the ministry of serving God in this area. Being a full-time homekeeper is also a ministry.

I learned that the home is a picture of Heaven on earth, that the reality of God is seen through the love and authority of the home; the peace of God is seen through the order and respect in the home; and the beauty of God is seen through the furnishings and amusements of the home (The Ladies of Grace Bible Study by Mrs. Julie Fink). That’s what I want my home to be: a Heaven on earth.